I have gone on two trips with CEA so far. Just this last week I went on a winery & vineyard tour near the city of Sitges and a few weeks ago I went on a weekend trip to Valencia, Spain. They were both such fun experiences.
Valencia
The trip to Valencia started out by taking a charter bus from Barcelona. It was only about four hours and the ride was super comfortable. We got to stay at a nice hotel that was all set up and planned by CEA staff. One of the most stressful parts of weekend traveling is all of the planning and logistics. Being able to sit back and let CEA plan this one was a relief.
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| Valencia is known for having delicious oranges, so this is a picture of some orange trees on the streets of Valencia. |
On our first day in Valencia we did walking and bus tours of the city that CEA organized. We also had some great tapas and drinks. Again, it was so fun to have these activities planned out already and all I had to do was show up. The second day we did a guided tour of the IVAM Museum, which is the modern art museum. It was so interesting to learn about Valencian art and the history behind it. Day two was my favorite because I finally got to try some famous “Valencian Paella”. It definitely did not disappoint. Four friends plus myself split the classic chicken and rabbit paella. The pan literally filled up the entire table. Needless to say, we were not able to eat the whole thing, despite how tasty it was.
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| During our guided tour of Valencia, we were able to see the amazing architecture. This is one example. |
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| Of course I had to get paella during the trip! This is a traditional chicken and rabbit paella. |
Winery & Sitges Modernista
Another fun excursion I did through CEA was the tour of a winery called Eudald Massana Noya and then a tour of the city of Sitges. This was a fun day trip, as it only took about an hour by charter bus to get there. Again, CEA organized the transportation, tours, food, and everything else. I had never been to a winery before, so this was such an exciting experience for me. Our tour guide, Albert, was so knowledgeable about the history of Eudald Massana Noya and wine in general.
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| You wouldn't believe how many wine barrels and bottles there were at Eudald Massana Noya! |
After we toured the vineyards and winery, we ate a traditional Catalonian lunch at a local restaurant. CEA did not hold back on this one. We ate so many courses that I can’t even remember them all. My favorite was the traditional calcotadas. Calcotadas are a type of sweet onion that you eat by peeling off the skin and dipping it in a delicious sauce. I probably ate 15 of these, no joke.
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| Kristi (left) and Luci (right) went on the trip to the winery and Sitges with me. This is them on the beautiful Sitges beach. |
After we stuffed our faces at lunch, we drove to Sitges. CEA set up a walking tour of the city with a fun tour guide. We learned all about how the little beach town turned into such a popular place. It is such a beautiful town so I see why so many people have a second home there. Maybe I’ll look into retiring there someday…
Julia D. is the Spring 2018 MOJO Blogger in Barcelona, Spain. She is currently a Junior studying Marketing & Finance at Iowa State University.